July 29, 2015

Bitter Taffy by Amy Lane (Print Only)

Can Rico and Derek find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love before Derek’s patience runs out?

Rico Gonzalves-Macias didn’t expect to fall in love during his internship in New York—and he didn’t expect the boss’s son to out them both and get him fired either. When he returns to Sacramento stunned and heartbroken, he finds his cousin, Adam, and Adam’s boyfriend, Finn, haven’t just been house-sitting—they’ve made his once sterile apartment into a home.

When Adam gets him a job interview with the adorable, magnetic, practically perfect Derek Huston, Rico feels especially out of his depth. Derek makes it no secret that he wants Rico, but Rico is just starting to figure out that he’s a beginner at the really important stuff and doesn’t want to jump into anything with both feet.

Derek is a both-feet kind of guy. But he’s also made mistakes of his own and doesn’t want to pressure Rico into anything. Together they work to find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love, and while they’re working, Rico gets a primer in why family isn’t always a bad idea. He needs to believe Derek can be his family before Derek’s formidable patience runs out—because even a practically perfect boyfriend is capable of being hurt.

Bonus Novella:

Candy Man

Prequel to Bitter Taffy

Adam Macias has been thrown a few curve balls in his life, but losing his VA grant because his car broke down and he missed a class was the one that struck him out. One relative away from homelessness, he’s taking the bus to Sacramento, where his cousin has offered a house-sitting job and a new start. He has one goal, and that’s to get his life back on track. Friends, pets, lovers? Need not apply.

Finn Stewart takes one look at Adam as he’s applying to Candy Heaven and decides he’s much too fascinating to leave alone. Finn is bright and shiny—and has never been hurt. Adam is wary of his attention from the very beginning—Finn is dangerous to every sort of peace Adam is forging, and Adam may just be too damaged to let him in at all.

But Finn is tenacious, and Adam’s new boss, Darrin, doesn’t take bullshit for an answer. Adam is going to have to ask himself which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him? With the holidays approaching it seems like an easy question, but Adam knows from experience that life is seldom simple, and the world seldom cooperates with hope, faith, or the plans of cats and men.

Rico Gonzalves-Macias didn’t expect to fall in love during his internship in New York—and he didn’t expect the boss’s son to out them both and get him fired either. When he returns to Sacramento stunned and heartbroken, he finds his cousin, Adam, and Adam’s boyfriend, Finn, haven’t just been house-sitting—they’ve made his once sterile apartment into a home.

When Adam gets him a job interview with the adorable, magnetic, practically perfect Derek Huston, Rico feels especially out of his depth. Derek makes it no secret that he wants Rico, but Rico is just starting to figure out that he’s a beginner at the really important stuff and doesn’t want to jump into anything with both feet.

Derek is a both-feet kind of guy. But he’s also made mistakes of his own and doesn’t want to pressure Rico into anything. Together they work to find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love, and while they’re working, Rico gets a primer in why family isn’t always a bad idea. He needs to believe Derek can be his family before Derek’s formidable patience runs out—because even a practically perfect boyfriend is capable of being hurt.

Thomas has to have the strange young man, Isle, and he’ll do things he never imagined himself capable of to get him.

Don’t talk to him. For all intents and purposes, he doesn’t exist.

Thomas knows the rules when he takes a job with the circus, but he can’t stop thinking about the strange young man hidden away in the manager’s trailer. After a chance meeting with Isle, Thomas is even more intrigued, despite Isle’s warnings. As his obsession with Isle grows, Thomas vows to solve the mystery surrounding him and rescue him from his prison. But nothing is what it seems—especially not Isle—and Thomas is left unable to trust his own mind. Amidst the sparkles and illusions of the big top, Thomas can’t tell whether the spell he’s falling under is love… or something very different. He just knows he has to have Isle, and he’ll do things he never imagined himself capable of to get him.

Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires Fredi to revamp his rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and Max is just too hunky for words.

When Max comes on to Fredi, the designer can’t imagine why. But he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, even if it’s just in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max’s dilapidated cabin into a showplace. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually?

Max, for his part, is grateful when Fredi takes him in hand, both metaphorically and literally. Coming out is the most exciting and wonderful time in his life, despite the conservative former friends who think they’re saving him from sliding into hell.

May 8, 2015

Immortal by Amy Lane

Teyth was born to sculpt emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Can they sustain the love that will make them immortal?

When Teyth was but a child, a cruel prince took over his village, building a great granite tower to rule over the folk. Greedy and capricious, the man will be the bane of Teyth’s existence as an adult, but as a boy, Teyth is too busy escaping his stepfather to worry about his ruler.

Sold into apprenticeship to the local blacksmith, Teyth finds that what was meant as a punishment is actually his salvation. Cairsten, the smith, and Diarmuid, his adopted son, are kind, and the smithy is the prosperous heart of a thriving village. As Teyth grows in the craft of metalwork, he also grows in love for Diarmuid, the gentle, clever young man who introduces him to smithing.

Their prince wants Diarmuid too. As the tyrant inflicts loss upon loss on Teyth and Diarmuid, Teyth’s passion for his craft twists into obsession. By the time Teyth resurfaces from his quest to create immortality, he’s nearly lost the love that makes being human worth the pain. Teyth was born to sculpt his emotion into metal, and Diarmuid was born to lead. Together, can they keep their village safe and sustain the love that will make them immortal?

On the run from his old-blood werewolf family, Tim Dirus finds himself in Wolf’s Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans and one of the last places Tim wants to be. Kept away from other wolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him.

Tim isn’t in Wolf’s Paw an hour before he draws the attention of Sheriff Nathaniel Neri, the alphaest alpha in a town full of alphas. Powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful wolf Tim has ever seen, Nathaniel makes Tim feel safe for reasons Tim doesn’t understand. For five years he’s lived on the run, in fear of his family and other wolves. Everything about Wolf’s Paw is contrary to what he thought he knew, and he is terrified. Fearing his mate will run, Sheriff Nathaniel must calm his little wolf and show him he’s more than a match for this big, bad alpha.

Five dead leaders, their bodies arranged in a pentagram. Treason, lies, and backstabbing. A make-believe affair that turns into a real mating.

Timothy Sands is a PBI counselor, half-fey, half-elf, with a secret crush on Herman Weiss, PBI director. As a new chapter is added to the Leader Murders, it is Weiss’s responsibility to investigate what seems an impossible-to-solve case. The other problem? Weiss is suffering from rages, and his only salvation lies in Tim’s emotional-grid-balancing skills. They only have to pretend to be a couple for Tim to use his talents, and he owes Weiss a big favor. Piece of cake, right?

The fey might be involved in the Leader Murders. Someone on the Council might be their ally, and another prominent PBI figure looks more and more suspicious as they investigate. The stakes are upped when Timothy’s father, the Fey King, threatens to leave the Council destitute if they don’t hand Timothy over to him. Weiss’s brilliant solution? Mating Timothy and forcing the Council into protecting him.

There’s only one small hitch in that plan: instead of protecting one, the Council might decide to get rid of two.

April 29, 2015

Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He’s invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn’t be happier.

Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott’s apartment or Scott’s relatives. No, Boone’s past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse found in a curious cookbook is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. There’s a secret behind the ingredients, though—one that might reveal the trust and love that have been missing from Boone’s life.

After Shayne’s death, Peter calls his voice mail to hear him one last time. He isn’t prepared when Shayne answers the phone.

2nd Edition

Peter was devastated when he lost his love, Shayne, in a car crash. Though he knows nothing will bring Shayne back, Peter takes solace in listening to Shayne’s voice mail, just to hear his voice one last time. He’s not prepared when one night, Shayne answers the phone.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It’s an unfortunate truth: love doesn’t always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Reggie wonders if he made a huge mistake in trusting Kelp, for the “rock” Kelp disappeared with might be a dragon’s egg.

Even in a Magus world, things are not always as they seem. However, what could possibly go wrong when archeologist Reggie Orrick, the red-haired son of a red-haired Magus, halts his Eastern European dig and travels to Ireland to research his latest find of what’s probably just a fossilized rock?

With Reggie’s luck? Everything.

Once in Ireland, Reggie crosses paths with Ian “Kelp” McGinty, an Unfortunate of Magus and Fae ancestry, who’s more than happy to appoint himself Reggie’s guide and confidant. Kelp’s irrepressible personality and compelling “something” draws Reggie to him, and Reggie’s about convinced himself to extend his stay to get to know the Unfortunate better. But one near-tragic car accident later, and Kelp disappears… with Reggie’s rock.

Reggie’s left to wonder if he’s made a huge mistake in trusting Kelp, for the “rock” might just be an Irish Snakesbane—an egg from an extinct line of dragons!

Not much is known about the cookbook, except that years ago, the mysterious Granny B collected a set of magical recipes and wrote them down. Over the years, each book has been modified, corrected, added to, and passed down through the generations to accumulate its own unique history. The secrets behind these very special recipes are about to find their way into new hands and new lives, just when they’re needed the most.

Food created out of love casts a spell all its own, but Granny B’s recipes add a little something extra. This curious cookbook holds not only delicious food, but also the secrets of love, trust, and healing, and it’s about to work its magic once again.

April 8, 2015

Emmett Gant was planning to tell his father something really important one Sunday morning—but his father passed away first. Now, nearly three years later, Emmett can’t seem to clear up who he should be with—the girl with the apple cheeks and the awesome family, or his snarky neighbor, Keegan, who never sees his family but who makes Emmett really happy just by coming over to chat.

Emmett needs clarity.

Fortunately for Emmett, his best friend’s mom has a cookbook that promises to give Emmett insight and good food, and Emmett is intrigued. After the cookbook follows him home, Emmett and Keegan decide to make the recipe “For Clarity,” and what ensues is both very clear—and a little surprising, especially to Emmett’s girlfriend. Emmett is going to have to think hard about his past and the really important thing he forgot to tell his father if he wants to get the recipe for love just right.

When best friends Jax and Dylan reconnect, Dylan falls for straight-seeming Jax all over again. The truth will change both their lives.

Dylan and Jax were typical best friends, until Dylan fell for Jax and kissed him the night before senior prom. Dylan had to move away before they could talk about it, so he has spent ten years thinking Jax hated him for that kiss.

Reconnecting on Facebook allows them to meet again, and they quickly become as close as ever, spending most of their free time together. Dylan falls for Jax a second time, even though Jax has a girlfriend and appears to be straight.

Important secrets about Jax may lie hidden in the books he’s written, but Jax has asked Dylan not to read them, and Dylan refuses to break his promise. When the truth finally surfaces, their lives will never be the same.

In the swinging sixties, Jeff gets caught in singer Danny’s cool. But coming out could ruin Danny’s career, or even land him in jail.

In the swinging Sixties, life gets rockin’ for Jeff McInnery when a new band plays at the local pub. Caught up in lead singer Danny Speed’s cool, Jeff sneaks a kiss. But being found out as homosexual could stop Danny’s hot career fast, and even land him in jail. With harsh words, Danny leaves to head for fame and fortune while Jeff starts university. On campus, Jeff meets Archie Ballatine, a history student living as openly as possible. It’s an exciting new world of sex and friendship for Jeff, but then the band comes back to town.

January 26, 2015

John Carey is just out of rehab and dying inside when he gets word that Tory, the guy who loved him and broke him, has removed himself from the world in the most bitter way possible—and left John to clean up his mess.

Forced back to his hometown in Florida, John’s craving a hit with every memory when he meets Tory’s neighbor. Spacey and judgmental, Galen Henderson has been rotting in his crappy apartment since a motorcycle accident robbed him of his mobility, his looks, and his boyfriend all in one mistake. Galen’s been hiding at the bottom of an oxy bottle, but when John shows up, he feels obligated to help wade through the wreckage of Tory’s life.

The last thing John needs is another relationship with an addict, and the last thing Galen wants is a conscience. Both of them are shocked when they find that their battered souls can learn from and heal one another. It doesn’t hurt that they’re both getting a crash course on how growing up and getting past your worst mistakes sure beats the alternative—and that true love is something to fight to keep if your lover is fighting to love you back.

Sam is determined to expose the real reason his friend died and to clear Nathan’s name—even if it’s the last thing he does.

Sam Flynn dreamed of being a journalist, until a car accident killed his parents and put his brother into a long-term coma. Now Sam spends his days as a landscaper, toiling in the New England sun, and his nights drunk in bed with the closest warm body. In his limited spare time, he writes about Stonebridge’s local crime and politics on his blog “Under the Bridge.”

Then Sam’s favorite client is found dead in her home—shortly after telling him someone has betrayed her trust. Sam can’t believe her grief-stricken husband, Nathan, would be a suspect, but the investigation focuses on him. Sam has always admired handsome Nathan from afar, but now he puts his libidinous feelings aside to help clear his name. But the closer he gets to Nathan, the more he’s told to keep away from him and the investigation—by the fatherly police chief, by an officer on the case who’s hated him since school, and by Nathan himself.

Sam is determined to expose the real reason his friend died and to clear Nathan’s name—even if it’s the last thing he does. Which, considering how fast the death toll is rising in Stonebridge… it might be.

Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or falling for Colton. But Miles will have to decide what’s truly important.

Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.

Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high-paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.

Dex didn’t hesitate. He picked her up, awed as always by how tiny she was. “No worries, bunny,” he muttered, trying to get his bearings. What day was it? What time was it? The flap of approaching feet—big flat ones—alerted him that Kane hadn’t slept through the emergency, he’d just been a bit late.

“Whatwuzat?” Kane mumbled, leaning against the wall and staring around the little girl’s mostly pink room like it had just materialized next to them as they’d slept.

“Bad dream,” Dex murmured, rocking the little girl against his chest.

“What’d you dream?” Kane asked, waking up a little. “Was it something cool, like robots?”

“No,” Frances shook her head against Dex’s chest.

“Creepy dolls?” Kane asked, like he was seriously curious.

“No,” Frances said again, shaking her head vigorously.

“Scary clowns?” Kane asked, like it was a legitimate line of questioning.

“No,” Frances denied, but her voice was getting sleepy. Dex rocked her some more, looking around the room. The snake and the iguana, in their giant glass habitat that looked both into the room and out into the backyard, seemed to be asleep, doing snakely and lizardly things. The small turtle was crawling around in his terrarium, oblivious to the fact that someday, he was going to get a turtle hardon and terrify everybody in the room. The gecko—added new to Kane’s collection—had hidden in his little house as soon as the light had gone on.

Jesus, no wonder the little girl was having nightmares. She was surrounded by monsters!

“Frances,” Dex asked, afraid it had been wrong to let her sleep here for the past six months, “was it about animals?”

“Yes!” Frances wailed. “It was about bugs!”

“Aw,” Kane reassured, taking her from Dex and patting her gently on the back. “That’s simple, bunny. You just imagine all the guys here eating the bugs, and you’ll be just fine.”

“You’re the only guy I know who could turn a room full of scaly things into an army to keep her safe.”

“Yeah?” Kane yawned again. “You’re the only guy I know who’d think like that at ass-crack-thirty. Go to bed, Dexter. We got a big busy day tomorrow, and I want sex tomorrow night.”

Dex chuckled, recognizing the slightly sore feeling in his body that indicated they’d gotten sex not too long ago. “We just had sex. You think you’re that lucky?”

Kane grabbed him about the waist before they walked into the bedroom and nuzzled his ear. “I like sex with you. Keeps the monsters away.”

Dex allowed himself to be pawed and nuzzled. “Good,” he said softly. “The guys can do that for Frances, but I’ll do that for you.”

“Can you do that for me tonight?”

“No,” Dex mumbled, sliding out of his arms and into bed. “You want to see something really scary, you’re gonna see me if I don’t get some sleep.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kane agreed, sliding into bed next to him. “You keep the monsters away, you get to call a few shots.”

“As long as your snake doesn’t sleep with my balls pulling his own guard duty, that is a deal.”

Suddenly Kane sprang up from bed. “Oh fuck! Tomas!” And with that he went padding down the hallway again, ostensibly to make sure the snake was double-locked in his cage.

For a moment, Dex contemplated letting this keep him awake, and then he changed his mind.

He had scary monster guard duty tomorrow, and the snake was one of the good guys. Nothing to be afraid about here, folks. Just Dex and the reptiles, keeping the scary monsters at bay.

Did you enjoy Amy Lane’s story? If so, check out the rest of her books and take 25% off at checkout with the code AmyLaneFlash2. Coupon code is good for one order per customer through February 19, 2015.

January 12, 2015

In the early breaths of spring he’d clambered up to the deck to drink his coffee, but even though it was February and they were out on the houseboat, he’d forgotten his shoes.

The deck was frickin’ cold in February.

His foot hit a patch of ice and he skid for a terrifying moment, flailing, coffee going everywhere, fully aware that he was heading for the side of the boat and about to fall off. He coordinated enough to chuck the coffee cup overboard, and the splash reached his ears just as he threw himself in the air so he’d land, sprawled, on his stomach, his lean body making a hollow thump as he threatened to cave in the ceiling of what was probably his and Whiskey’s bedroom.

He was laying there, counting stars, hearing the “Holy fuck Patrick what in the hell was that?” echoing from the hold of the boat, when it fluttered stiffly to the prow and sat for a moment on the chrome railing of the boat.

He stared at it, dumbfounded, vaguely aware that his chin hurt and he was probably going to have a big honking cut on it when the dust cleared.

“Patrick?”

“Palos blue,” Patrick mumbled.

“Oh my God—Patrick! Are you okay?”

“No. I think my chin is bleeding. And the neighbors in the next boat are laughing their asses off.”

Gingerly, Patrick got to his knees and then to his feet, looking unhappily at the blood patterning his shirt.

“No. Just my chin. Fucking hurts. Did you see that?” he asked, making sure Whiskey had heard him the first time.

“Yeah, you said Palos Blue.” Whiskey hadn’t shaved in days, and his beard was almost full, but that didn’t stop his warm brown eyes from being accessible and concerned over it. “That’s why I thought you’d hit your head.”

“Yeah—no! Look, Whiskey—it’s right there!”

Now see? Anyone else Patrick had ever known would have just chivvied him off down into the boat and fussed over his chin, which was going to need stitches.

But Whiskey knew that Patrick would think this was important too.

“Oh my God—Patrick what in the hell is that thing doing here?”

They were extremely rare—and extremely rare in California in the winter.

As they both stared at the thing, it stuttered and fell over. Whiskey left Patrick’s side with a reluctant pat on his shoulder, and took off his moccasin. Very carefully, he picked the dead butterfly up by its leg and deposited it into his shoe, where it wouldn’t get more banged about before he went downstairs and got a sample bag.

When that task was done, he let out a curse. “Holy hell, is it cold up here. C’mon, Patrick—let’s get you downstairs and dressed. We’re going to need to see the doc about your chin.”

Patrick groaned. The doctor—if they got the same one, and they’d been seeing him practically every time they’d been to Kaiser in the last two months—had made his opinion clear. He’d made it clear when Patrick had nailed his hand to the deck, and he’d made it clear when Patrick had slid down the houseboat stairs and banged his head on the last step.

He’d definitely make his opinion clear now.

“You know what he’ll say!” Patrick whined.

“He’ll say we need to move into a real house and not the houseboat where you’re going to kill yourself,” Whiskey recited grimly.

“Yeah. That.”

“Well, I’m starting to think he’s got a point.” Whiskey sighed, and helped him down the stairs.

“But Whiskey, we’ve got to find out about the butterfly! It’s important, right? An ecological anomaly?”

“Yeah. We’ll find out about the butterfly. But maybe we’ll find out about an apartment too. I’d really like you to stop bleeding on the carpeting.”

Patrick’s chin opened up into a giant ache. Maybe Whiskey had a point, but he didn’t want to talk about it now.

“Whatever. Just give me some toilet paper and I’ll bleed on that.”

Whiskey grunted and did what he said. “Palos Blue,” he murmured half to himself, setting the shoe down on the breakfast table. “You’re probably the only one who could find that.”

“Yeah,” Patrick said, feeling spiteful. “But only if we live here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Whiskey returned, but he was already pulling his phone out of his pocket and dialing the doctor, so Patrick wasn’t sure how much he meant it.

Patrick rooted around in the shoe for a moment. “Palos Blue,” he mumbled, “Palos Blue… let’s think of a way to stay home where we belong.”

Did you enjoy Amy Lane’s story? If so, check out the rest of her books and take 25% off at checkout with the code AmyLaneFlash. Coupon code is good for one order per customer through February 12, 2015.

December 3, 2014

All’s Fair in Mate Bonds and Publishing by Alana Ankh

When half-werewolf Killian meets werewolf Alpha Brett, he’ll have to set aside his beliefs if he wants his own happily ever after.

For Killian Marsden, werewolf romance is overrated. After all, he should know, since he’s a half-werewolf and an editor for a romance-publishing house. He’s tired of reading mate bond fairytales, because real life doesn’t work that way. In the real world, Alphas abandon their half-breed children. Not that Killian’s jaded or anything. Simply realistic. So when werewolf Alpha Brett comes knocking, demanding explanations on a rejected manuscript, Killian reels away, or at least tries to.

Brett is a walking, talking Alpha cliché: big, possessive, and growly. His last name is Wolfe, for crying out loud. But Brett is also trustworthy, devoted to his pack, and a little silly when in love. Soon, Killian discovers that maybe, just maybe, he might love Brett in return.

Unfortunately, Killian is not the only one who wants to claim Brett. He will have to set aside his beliefs about mate bonds and deadbeats if he wants his own happily ever after werewolf romance.

With the holidays approaching, Adam is going to have to ask himself which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him?

Adam Macias has been thrown a few curve balls in his life, but losing his VA grant because his car broke down and he missed a class was the one that struck him out. One relative away from homelessness, he’s taking the bus to Sacramento, where his cousin has offered a house-sitting job and a new start. He has one goal, and that’s to get his life back on track. Friends, pets, lovers? Need not apply.

Finn Stewart takes one look at Adam as he’s applying to Candy Heaven and decides he’s much too fascinating to leave alone. Finn is bright and shiny—and has never been hurt. Adam is wary of his attention from the very beginning—Finn is dangerous to every sort of peace Adam is forging, and Adam may just be too damaged to let him in at all.

But Finn is tenacious, and Adam’s new boss, Darrin, doesn’t take bullshit for an answer. Adam is going to have to ask himself which is harder—letting Finn in or living without him? With the holidays approaching it seems like an easy question, but Adam knows from experience that life is seldom simple, and the world seldom cooperates with hope, faith, or the plans of cats and men.

When unexplainable things start to go bump in the night, Kevin and Jason search for answers. They uncover the last thing they expected.

2nd Edition

Fruity drinks, days on the beautiful beaches of Key West, and falling in love in the pool makes a perfect vacation. Just when it seems things can’t get any better, Jason meets the man of his dreams. As he watches Kevin frolic in the ocean, Jason knows Kevin is the guy he’s been waiting for. It’s almost too good to be true when they discover they both live in New York. Buying a house together is supposed to mean happily ever after. But while their life may be perfect, their house is less than peaceful. When unexplainable things start to go bump in the night and an otherworldly experience forces Kevin and Jason to search for answers, what they uncover is the last thing they expected.

Russ’s Christmas joy is quickly deflated by his mother’s zealotry, leaving him to ponder if peace, love, and matricide go hand in hand.

Christmas brings dreams of peace, love, and family time for most. Sadly, Russell Moore isn’t so blessed. Since his coming out and marriage prompted a less-than-joyful reaction from his religious parents, Russ has kept his distance to avoid their conservative disapproval. With his husband David deployed overseas for the second Christmas in a row, Russ gives in to the loneliness and takes his stepchildren to meet his parents for the first time, hoping the “goodwill toward men” spirit will overcome his mother’s zealotry.

Rein Dear is a prestigious title, accompanied by admiration, devotion, and celebrity status, all of which one saucy Vixen thrives on. Alas, Vixen’s only concerned with having fun, unlike his stuffy and sensible best friend, Rudy Rein Dear, who Vixen has always been jealous of. Aside from being chosen by Mayor Kringle to be captain of the Rein Dear Squadron, Rudy’s managed to snag himself a prince, even if that prince is the dangerous and imposing Jack Frost.

All’s not lost for Vixen though. He discovers Jack’s cousin Vale has a soft spot for him. Vale Frost might not be a dashing prince, but he’s the next best thing: a decorated lieutenant for the Toy Soldier Army, and a member of the Frost monarchy.

Determined to get what Vixen feels he deserves, he sets off on a mission to ensnare the kind-hearted lieutenant. But Vixen’s selfish ways are sure to lead to disaster, and it’ll take more than a little courage to set things right.

Trent worries Nik’s big, close-knit Indian family won’t accept an American—much less a man—as Nik’s partner.

Nikhilesh (Nik) Sharma hasn’t been home to Alappuzha, India, since he came out to his family ten years ago. Now that his relationship with them is less strained, he’s bringing his boyfriend Trent along to celebrate the winter holidays. As excited as he is to see everyone again, he worries the foreign culture, religious differences, and disapproval might shock Trent. At the same time, Trent worries Nik’s big, close-knit family won’t accept an American—much less a man—as Nik’s partner and that his presence will impede the otherwise happy reunion. Whether the trip leads to misunderstandings that will drive them apart or to a new understanding that will draw them closer than ever, it’s sure to be an experience they’ll never forget.

October 17, 2014

Beneath the Stain by Amy Lane

Just when Trav thinks they may have mastered every demon in rock star Mackey’s past, the biggest, baddest demon of all comes knocking.

In a town as small as Tyson, CA, everybody knew the four brothers with the four different fathers—and their penchant for making good music when they weren’t getting into trouble. For Mackey Sanders, playing in Outbreak Monkey with his brothers and their friends—especially Grant Adams—made Tyson bearable. But Grant has plans for getting Mackey and the Sanders boys out of Tyson, even if that means staying behind.

Between the heartbreak of leaving Grant and the terrifying, glamorous life of rock stardom, Mackey is adrift and sinking fast. When he’s hit rock bottom, Trav Ford shows up, courtesy of their record company and a producer who wants to see what Mackey can do if he doesn’t flame out first. But cleaning up his act means coming clean about Grant, and that’s not easy to do or say. Mackey might make it with Trav’s help—but Trav’s not sure he’s going to survive falling in love with Mackey.

Mackey James Sanders comes with a whole lot of messy, painful baggage, and law-and-order Trav doesn’t do messy or painful. And just when Trav thinks they may have mastered every demon in Mackey’s past, the biggest, baddest demon of all comes knocking.

Both Lucien and Heathcliff desire a marriage of the heart, but they find out that sometimes a marriage of convenience can turn into love.

In an alternate universe, in the country of Angland, 1814, the gentry live lives of culture and class. It is a time of courtships, marriages of convenience, and titles, where scandal can ruin an entire family. Gender lines are blurred, and making a good match is of utmost importance. Children are born to men and women, which has led to the acceptance of same-sex marriages.

Lady Lucien Timothy Hawthorne is shocked and angry when he is betrothed against his will to Lord Heathcliff Eddington, III, the Duke of Pompinshire. While drowning his frustration at a popular gentleman’s club, he meets “Robert,” a gorgeous older man whom he sleeps with as “Timmy,” regardless of the potential damage to his reputation.

After their liaison, Lucien corresponds with Robert via letters left at Remmington, and they decide to elope. Before they can get away, Lucien meets his betrothed, Heathcliff, who he is surprised to discover is also his beloved, Robert. Both men desire a marriage of the heart, but they find out that sometimes a marriage of convenience can turn into love under the right circumstances. But Lucien has a secret, and Tlondon isn’t as safe as they once thought.

In a dystopian near future, New York City has become the epicenter of decadence—gambling, the flesh trade, a playground for the wealthy. And underneath? Crime, fueled by “Dead Bolt,” a destructive designer drug. This New City is where Nox Boyet leads a double life. At night, he is the Vigilante, struggling to keep the streets safe for citizens abandoned by the corrupt government and police. During the day, he works in construction and does his best to raise his adopted teenaged son, Sam.

A mysterious letter addressed to Sam brings Nox in direct contact with “model” Cade Creel, a high-end prostitute working at the Iron Butterfly Casino. Suspicion gives way to an intense attraction as dark figures from Nox’s past and the mysterious peddlers of Dead Bolt begin to descend—and put all their lives in danger. When things spin out of control, Cade is the only person Nox can trust to help him save Sam.

May 2, 2014

Run for the Roses by Elizabeth Noble

Val is determined to avoid relationships. But Wyatt, his best friend’s father, interests him in ways that make his resolve waver.

Wanting to end his pattern of choosing controlling and abusive men, Vladimir ‘Val’ Mihalic figures it’s better to live alone than live in fear. Just when things are settling down—his biggest trouble recently is a Kentucky Derby hopeful that won’t load into a starting gate—his best friend Janelle’s violent ex-boyfriend kidnaps her. After she’s seriously injured in a car wreck, Wyatt Harig, Janelle’s estranged father, comes around to tend to his daughter. Despite Val’s determination to avoid relationships, Wyatt interests him in ways that make his resolve waver. As complications and repercussions pile on in the aftermath of Janelle’s kidnapping—including a gambling charge and a murder—Wyatt and Val must work together to seek answers. And the closer they get to each other, the more Val wants them to stay that way.

After three years of waiting for “rabbit” Jeremy to commit to a life in Granby—and a life together—Aiden Rhodes was appalled when Jeremy sustained a nearly fatal beating to keep a friend out of harm’s way. How could Aiden’s bunny put himself in danger like that?

Aiden needs to get over himself, because Jeremy has a long road to recovery, and he’s going to need Aiden’s promise of love every step of the way. Jeremy has new scars on his face and body to deal with, and his heart can’t afford any more wounds.

When their friend’s baby needs some special care, the two men find common ground to firm up their shaky union. With Aiden’s support and his boss’s inspiration, Jeremy comes up with a plan to make sure Ariadne’s little blackbird comes into this world with everything she needs. While Jeremy grows into his new role as protector, Aiden needs to ease back on his protectiveness over his once-timid lover. Aiden may be a wolf in student’s clothing and Jeremy may be a rabbit of a man, but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk the wilds of Granby together.

Noah and Robert are college teachers who exchange jobs and homes. Noah makes a discovery in Robert’s home that leads him to self discovery.

Despite a successful college teaching career, Noah Daniels has become depressed. He feels he’s leading a monochromatic life: love has eluded him. When he’s offered a chance to teach in London as part of an exchange program, he accepts, hoping a change of scenery will do him good. But once he’s there, his outlook on love and sexuality changes in ways he never expected.

Robert Callinan is Noah’s English counterpart in the program. The men exchange not only their jobs, but also their homes, and it is what Noah stumbles across while staying at Robert’s house that sends him on a journey of self-discovery—both mentally and physically. A journey that puts color back into his life… just not in the way he expected. When the exchange program ends, Noah has to go home, but he doesn’t know if he wants to return to the life he left behind.

Three Amy Lane knitting novellas: Join this menagerie of knitters as they craft to keep their toes toasty and their hearts warm!

Welcome to Granby, Colorado, a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains where it snows eight months out of the year and knitting is a mashup of art form, necessity, and religion. Here you will meet:

* Rance “Craw” Crawford, owner of the local alpaca farm and fiber mill, who courts tenderfoot Ben McCutcheon with awkwardness and the most lovingly handcrafted knitted garments known to man.

* Jeremy Stillson, ex-con and ex-grifter, who comes to work for Craw and learns the secrets to being honest are in both the yarn he learns to use and in Aiden Rhodes, his young co-worker, who has a very direct way of dealing with life and seducing Jeremy.

* Stanley Schulz, yarn buyer and Craw’s ex-lover, who discovers the joys of knitting alone—and then discovers the joys of knitting for Johnny, a delivery driver with a shady past.

Join this menagerie of knitters as they craft to keep their toes toasty and their hearts warm.

Novellas in this anthology originally published as eBooks by Dreamspinner Press.